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Election Live Updates: Polls Close in South Carolina, Where Graham’s Sister Seeks His Seat
The late Senator Lindsey Graham’s sister is among a crowded field in a race that could be headed for a runoff. Five other states are also holding races, including Vermont, where polls have also closed, and Wisconsin, where a democratic socialist is seeking the nomination for governor.
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Source: Associated Press
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Aug. 11, 2026, 7:06 p.m. ET
Primary races in six states on Tuesday will test President Trump’s control over the Republican Party and Democratic voters’ appetite for progressive candidates. Much of the attention was on South Carolina, where a crowded field of Republicans was vying to replace Senator Lindsey Graham, an outspoken Trump ally who died unexpectedly in July.
Mr. Trump has urged Republicans to coalesce behind Mr. Graham’s sister, Senator Darline Graham, who is filling his seat in Congress through January and also seeking a full six-year term. Her opponents include former Gov. Mark Sanford and Representatives Russell Fry and Ralph Norman. There will be a runoff election on Aug. 25 if no candidate wins a majority of votes.
Before the polls closed, Ms. Graham appeared ready for a runoff, telling reporters after she voted in Lexington, S.C., that she planned to campaign aggressively over the next two weeks.
“I am not being handed this seat,” said Ms. Graham, who has been criticized for spending time casting votes in Washington rather than campaigning. She said she had “worked really hard the past few days” and had not “slept at all.”
There are also high-profile Democratic contests for Wisconsin governor and a Senate seat in Minnesota being decided on Tuesday.
In purple Wisconsin, polls show Francesca Hong, a chef, state lawmaker and democratic socialist, leading the Democratic primary for governor. Her candidacy has energized left-wing voters, but moderate Democrats worry she could falter in the general election. Gov. Tony Evers is backing one of her opponents, David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive.
Ms. Hong has come under fire for writing on social media in 2020 that Thanksgiving should be canceled, though she recently walked back the statement. She supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and increasing taxes on people who make more than $750,000 per year.
“We have been a community, people-powered campaign,” Ms. Hong told reporters in Madison on Tuesday. “Over 7,000 volunteers, 130,000 doors knocked. We are going to continue to meet voters in every corner of our state and make sure that we are talking about the issues that matter to them.”
Another test for the left is underway in Democratic-leaning Minnesota, where Representative Angie Craig, a moderate Democrat, faces Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a progressive, for the Democratic nomination to succeed Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat who is retiring.
Polls have also closed in Vermont, where two Democrats and first-time candidates are vying for the chance to challenge Gov. Phil Scott, a moderate Republican.
Here’s what else to watch for:
Trump ally’s run: Mike Lindell, the MyPillow chief executive and a leader of the election denial movement, has Mr. Trump’s endorsement in the Republican primary for governor in Minnesota. Senator Amy Klobuchar is widely expected to secure the Democratic nomination to succeed Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat who declined to run for re-election amid a fraud scandal involving the state’s social services programs.
Cabinet member’s son-in-law: Representative Tom Tiffany is leaving his solidly red seat in northern Wisconsin to run for governor. One of the top Republicans vying to succeed him is Michael Alfonso, the 26-year-old, Trump-endorsed son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Wisconsin battleground seat: Two Democrats are competing to challenge Representative Derrick Van Orden, a Republican, in a western Wisconsin district expected to be among the nation’s most competitive in November.
Black representation: Alabama’s redistricting jerked the state’s Second Congressional District rightward, adding Representative Shomari Figures to the list of Black Democrats whose seats are under threat after the Supreme Court’s decision this year that further weakened the Voting Rights Act. Several Republicans are aiming to challenge him, with Mr. Trump backing Rhett Marques, a state representative and small-business owner.
Generational challenge in Connecticut: Representative John Larson, a 78-year-old Democrat seeking a 15th term, is facing a primary challenge from a rival more than three decades younger than him, at a time when many Democrats are calling for older lawmakers to step aside.
Robert Chiarito and Patricia Mazzei contributed reporting.
Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times
Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times
Sean Rayford for The New York Times
Narayan Mahon for The New York Times
Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times
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Aug. 11, 2026, 7:47 p.m. ET
Our live results are provided by The Associated Press. To produce its results, The A.P. combines data feeds from state and county websites with on-the-ground reporting by thousands of correspondents who gather vote tallies from county clerks and other local officials after polls close. The Times has also occasionally published data from other results providers.
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Aug. 11, 2026, 6:45 p.m. ET
Darline Graham, a longtime advocate for disability rights, is competing against four other candidates in a special Republican Senate primary election to succeed her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, who died last month.
Except for occasional appearances alongside her brother, Ms. Graham, 62, had lived a quiet life with her family in the suburbs of Columbia, S.C., until she decided to run for the Senate. Here are five things to know about her.
1. President Trump endorsed Ms. Graham after a high-stakes meeting in the Oval Office, surprising many in South Carolina who assumed he would endorse Russell Fry, a two-term congressman and loyal ally. The president, uncharacteristically upset by the death of Mr. Graham, told his senior staff in the Oval Office that he liked some candidates who wanted to run, hated others, but loved only one candidate, and that was Ms. Graham.
2. She has said she will govern differently than her brother. Ms. Graham has said she will be more focused on domestic policy than Mr. Graham, who was known primarily as a foreign-policy hawk. She has also sided with Mr. Trump on issues where the president and her brother disagreed. At a debate last week, she said she would get rid of the Senate filibuster, a move that Mr. Graham did not support, and pass a voting restrictions bill called the SAVE America Act that is a top priority of the president’s.
3. She was exceptionally close to Mr. Graham. The siblings formed a tight bond after losing both of their parents in a 15-month stretch when Ms. Graham was 13 and Mr. Graham was 22 years old. Mr. Graham later became his sister’s legal guardian. As the closest living relative of the longtime senator, who never married, Ms. Graham often played the role of political spouse — sharing personal stories about a man largely uncomfortable talking about himself.
4. She is a widely respected advocate for people with disabilities. Ms. Graham dedicated most of her life to helping people with disabilities find jobs, most recently as commissioner of a state agency for blind residents. People who worked with Ms. Graham described her as a skilled relationship-builder who has made a significant impact on behalf of people with disabilities.
5. She is already in the Senate. Gov. Henry McMaster, prodded by Mr. Trump, named Ms. Graham to serve out the remainder of Mr. Graham’s term, making her the state’s first female senator. There was wide support in the state for her interim appointment, but some South Carolina residents and operatives have expressed skepticism that she can win a statewide election against experienced politicians. The president’s first choice for governor in South Carolina, Pamela Evette, lost her election after facing criticism for relying too heavily on his endorsement rather than proving her own strength as a candidate.
Aug. 11, 2026, 6:45 p.m. ET
Reporting from Columbia, S.C.
Representative Russell Fry, a loyal Trump ally, faces four other candidates in a special Republican Senate primary election to succeed Lindsey Graham, who died last month.
Here are five things to know about Mr. Fry, 41, a two-term congressman from northeastern South Carolina.
1. He defeated a Republican who voted to impeach President Trump. In 2022, Mr. Fry ousted former Representative Tom Rice, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump in 2021. That victory made Mr. Trump fond of Mr. Fry.
2. The president initially signaled he might support him in the Senate race. Two days after Mr. Graham died, Mr. Trump told Newsmax that Mr. Fry was “outstanding” and suggested that the congressman might be a contender in the Senate contest. “I could see that happening,” Mr. Trump said. “I think he’s a very, very talented person.” Mr. Trump later decided to back Darline Graham, Mr. Graham’s younger sister, who had agreed to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term.
3. He is running for Senate while also running for re-election to the House. South Carolina law allows Mr. Fry to continue his House re-election campaign while also running for Senate. But he would not be allowed to hold both offices simultaneously, so if he were to win both races, his House seat would become vacant in January. His rivals have criticized Mr. Fry for risking leaving Republicans a member short, especially if they hold on to their narrow House majority. Mr. Fry has acknowledged that the situation is “odd” but noted that his seat would remain safely Republican.
4. He has campaigned in part on his youth. If elected, Mr. Fry would become one of the youngest members of the Senate, where the median age is nearly 67 years old. “The Senate is an older body, and I think that’s what people want — they want fresh energy in there,” he said at a candidate event last week. “The old way of doing things, that’s why people are ticked.” Mr. Fry, a lawyer, has also said that his family came from modest means, so he understands voters struggling with affordability.
5. He once interned in Mr. Graham’s office. Mr. Graham’s roots in South Carolina’s Republican politics ran deep, and Mr. Fry was involved in party politics at a young age. He was later elected to the state’s General Assembly, where he served for seven years.
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Aug. 11, 2026, 6:44 p.m. ET
Reporting from Columbia, S.C.
Representative Ralph Norman, a longtime lawmaker aligned with the hard-line conservative wing of his party, faces four other candidates in a special Republican Senate primary election to succeed Lindsey Graham, who died last month.
Here are five things to know about Mr. Norman, 73, a five-term congressman from the South Carolina suburbs of Charlotte, N.C.
1. He lost a race for governor this year. Mr. Norman came in third place in the Republican primary in June, behind Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson, the state’s attorney general. (Mr. Wilson later defeated Ms. Evette in a runoff.) Running for governor gave Mr. Norman statewide name recognition and made it easier to run a compressed campaign for the Senate, after Mr. Graham’s death, since he had already spent plenty of time campaigning across the state. He did well in the governor’s race in several upstate counties, including Greenville County, which is rich in Republican voters.
2. He endorsed Nikki Haley for president in 2024. Mr. Norman backed Ms. Haley, the former South Carolina governor, over President Trump in the Republican presidential primary. Mr. Norman has described Ms. Haley as a friend and said he told Mr. Trump in advance about his plan to endorse one of his opponents. But supporting Ms. Haley may have cost Mr. Norman an endorsement from Mr. Trump in the governor’s race and again in the special Senate primary.
3. He is the vice chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. Mr. Norman is perhaps best known for being a member of the ultraconservative group of House members that has opposed spending bills and staunchly supported Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown.
4. He has promised to be “very vocal” in the Senate. Mr. Norman, like his rivals, has campaigned for the Senate in part on supporting the SAVE America Act, a voting restrictions bill that Mr. Trump has made a priority of his domestic agenda. Mr. Norman has described the Senate as “deadlocked” and said getting legislation to move in the chamber again will require more stalwart conservatives to vote as they do in the House.
5. He has been a real estate developer for four decades. Mr. Norman joined his father’s construction business out of college and helped grow it into a large commercial real estate operation.
Aug. 11, 2026, 6:42 p.m. ET
Mark Sanford, a former governor and congressman of South Carolina whose political career was damaged by a high-profile affair, is facing four other candidates in a special Republican Senate primary election to succeed Senator Lindsey Graham, who died last month.
Here are five things to know about Mr. Sanford.
1. He is no stranger to setbacks or comebacks. Mr. Sanford, 66, was considered a possible candidate for president in 2012 until he vanished without explanation in 2009, famously leaving his staff to tell reporters that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. In fact, he was in the midst of an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina. Four years later, he was elected to Congress. Since then, he launched a bid for president and filed to run for his old House seat, but he abandoned both efforts before votes were cast.
2. President Trump is not a fan. A staunch fiscal conservative, Mr. Sanford repeatedly broke with Mr. Trump on government spending, among other issues, during his last stint in Congress. As a result, Mr. Trump backed his primary election opponent in 2018, which led to Mr. Sanford’s ouster. A year later, Mr. Sanford briefly challenged Mr. Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.
3. He is pitching himself as a businessman focused on the national debt — including by giving a news conference with a pair of pigs he called “Debt” and “Deficit.” In past elections, Mr. Sanford has acknowledged that South Carolina Republicans were not in the mood for a candidate focused on fiscal conservatism. He is betting this time will be different.
4. He is widely known in South Carolina. Name recognition is an important factor in a primary election that lasted only about a month, and most people in the state know Mr. Sanford. In addition to his time as a governor, congressman and many stints as a candidate, he has prioritized private conversations with constituents and readily handed out his phone number.
5. He’s been driving around the state in a pickup on a barnstorming tour he has called the “Mama I Can’t Afford a New Truck Tour.” The tour has focused on the rising cost of everyday life.
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Aug. 11, 2026, 6:13 p.m. ET
Six states — Alabama, Connecticut, Minnesota, South Carolina, Vermont and Wisconsin — are holding primaries on Tuesday. The first polls will close at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Here’s when to expect both unofficial and certified results.
Alabama
Alabama is holding special congressional primaries on Tuesday in four newly drawn districts after the state adopted new congressional maps. Polls close at 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. Eastern), after which the election board will begin tabulating.
Early votes will be counted first, but since Alabama has a relatively rigid early voting policy, it’s likely there will be fewer of them than in other states. Ballots cast on Election Day will be next.
You can refer to The Times’s vote tracker to watch the results come in.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s municipalities will begin reporting their results once polls close, at 8 p.m. Eastern. Election officials say it’s likely that results will be known late on Tuesday.
The Times will be tracking results here.
Results won’t be official until Aug. 18, the state’s final deadline to certify the vote.
Minnesota
Polls in Minnesota close at 8 p.m. local time (9 p.m. Eastern), at which point election officials will begin tabulating. They anticipate unofficial results will be in by late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
You can visit The Times’s results tracker here once polls close.
The state canvassing board will meet on Aug. 18 to certify the vote.
South Carolina
South Carolina has just one race on its special election ballot — the U.S. Senate seat left vacant after the death last month of Lindsey Graham.
Results will most likely come in soon after polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern time, officials expect. If no candidates gather enough votes to win the nomination outright, which is likely, the race will go to a runoff between the top two candidates, to be held Aug. 25.
The Times’s tracker will have the results as they arrive.
Vermont
Vermont’s election system is decentralized, meaning that clerks representing Vermont’s 247 cities and towns are responsible for administering elections in their own districts. Most of these municipalities use voting tabulators, which makes counting ballots quicker; election officials expect all clerks to report their unofficial results by Tuesday night.
You can follow along with The Times’s election night vote tracker here once polls close, at 7 p.m. Eastern.
These results will remain unofficial until the statewide canvass occurs to certify the vote, on Aug. 18. Voters can watch the canvass on a livestream provided by the state.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin doesn’t have a statewide system for reporting unofficial results; that is the responsibility of the state’s 72 county clerks, who will post results online as votes are counted in their respective areas.
Polls close at 8 p.m. local time (9 p.m. Eastern). Election officials warn that some cities will take longer than others to report their results — particularly large cities that must process many absentee ballots, such as Milwaukee, Green Bay, Racine and Kenosha. Results in those communities may not arrive until early on Wednesday, or even later.
You can follow along with The Times’s vote tracker here.
The results of the election will be certified by Aug. 26.
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Aug. 11, 2026, 5:14 p.m. ET
Over and over this year, moderate Democrats have had big financial advantages over their progressive rivals in primary races. Over and over, the progressives have won.
Representative Angie Craig is hoping the outcome is different on Tuesday in Minnesota.
Ms. Craig, a centrist running for Senate, has a significant edge on advertising spending over her left-wing Democratic primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. Ms. Craig has outspent her by more than four to one, $19.9 million versus $4.7 million, including money from allied outside groups, according to data from media tracking firm AdImpact.
Ms. Craig has been bolstered in particular by about $10 million in ad spending since late May from a low-profile group called North Star Dawn PAC.
That group — like an increasing number of super PACs with murky origins — has been funded almost entirely by a so-called dark-money nonprofit group, which allows the super PAC to avoid ever disclosing the true provenance of the cash. That nonprofit group, the Civic Progress Fund Inc., was incorporated last December in Delaware. It has also aired pro-Craig ads.
Ms. Flanagan has also sought to use Ms. Craig’s past support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — a major pro-Israel lobbying group that has proved highly divisive in Democratic primaries this cycle — against her. AIPAC has not endorsed Ms. Craig or directly spent money on her behalf in this race.
Ms. Flanagan has attacked Ms. Craig as the candidate of dark money. But the lieutenant governor has had her own outside spending, primarily from a group affiliated with Democratic lieutenant governors that she once led. Some of its money comes from groups with undisclosed donors.
Ads from both the lieutenant governors group and North Star Dawn have sought to portray the opposing candidate as in the pocket of special interests.
Ms. Craig’s campaign raised more money than Ms. Flanagan’s by a margin of about two to one over the course of the race, allowing the congresswoman to outspend the lieutenant governor.
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Aug. 11, 2026, 4:32 p.m. ET
The morning after Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died, President Trump floated his choice for serving the remainder of his term: a little-known House member he saw as a loyal MAGA foot soldier.
The president had been fond of that House member, Russell Fry, ever since he had defeated a congressman who had voted to impeach him. Mr. Trump relayed the idea to Gov. Henry McMaster, who held the power to appoint an interim senator, on a call that Sunday morning, according to three people familiar with the conversation.
Mr. McMaster had another name in mind: Darline Graham, the late senator’s sister and an advocate for disability rights in a suburb of Columbia, S.C. Nobody seemed to know very much about her.
The exchange between Mr. Trump and Mr. McMaster kick-started one of the most high-stakes weeks in South Carolina’s political history, one that has shaped its first open Republican primary election for a Senate seat in more than two decades. The scramble culminated when Mr. Trump gave Ms. Graham his blessing — not only as a short-term caretaker for her late brother’s seat, but for the highly coveted six-year term.
Ms. Graham is widely respected for her work helping people with disabilities find jobs, most recently as commissioner of a state agency for blind residents. Some close to Mr. Graham felt her candidacy would best reflect his desires.
The idea of running for the seat had occurred to Ms. Graham early in the week after her brother died, after multiple people — from close friends to nationally known politicians — had reached out and encouraged her to start a formal bid, three people said.
The day after Ms. Graham met in the Oval Office with the president — and Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the chief of staff, Susie Wiles, among others — Mr. Trump publicly endorsed her.
But the work to transform a private, grieving sister into a candidate for the Senate was just beginning.
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